“Mike, help Jenna,” Jung said.
“Fay, make sure you keep an eye out,” Mike said.
“Got it,” Fay answered.
The bloodstain around Jenna’s shoulder covered most of her arm and the top half of her shirt. Mike ripped the shirt around the source of the wound to get a better look. The blood poured out of her like a river. He checked the back of her shoulder for an exit wound.
“The bullet’s still inside,” Mike said.
Mike grabbed Tom’s hands and placed them over Jenna’s shoulder. She cried out in pain from the pressure.
“Keep firm, even pressure on it,” Mike explained. “It’s going to hurt for her either way, so we need to keep as much blood in her as possible.”
Mike swung his backpack around. He unzipped the main pack flinging out extra clothes, water, and food until he pulled out a small medical kit he found at the airport. He popped the hatches off the top and pushed the bandages aside until he reached a pair of tweezers.
“Clarence, hold her down,” Mike said.
Clarence brought the weight of his body down on Jenna’s arms and legs.
“Jenna, this is going to hurt, but I need to get the bullet out so it doesn’t get infected okay?” Mike said.
“G-give me some medicine,” Jenna said.
“I don’t have anything to give you. I’ll try and make it quick,” Mike said.
Mike dug the tweezers into the open gash on Fay’s shoulder and she let out a scream. Her good arm and legs swung wildly as she tried to push them off of her.
“Keep her still!” Mike said.
Clarence pressed down harder, but Fay was going wild. Each time Mike dug deeper into Fay’s shoulder more blood poured out followed by writhing and screams. Mike probed through the jagged pieces of flesh until he reached the tip of the bullet.
“I think it got it,” Mike said.
Mike pulled out a .224 round and dumped it on the ground. The leaves, grass, and twigs around them were stained red. He grabbed the bandages from the medical kit. He handed a few to Tom and placed the bulk of the bandages on the wound itself. Mike wrapped it tightly.
“I’ve done what I can,” Mike said.
Jung dropped to his wife’s side. He held her hand in his. Mike crept over to Fay who was still watching the red sedan in the distance.
“Whoever shot her is still there. I didn’t see anyone come or go,” Fay said.
“Just the one?” Mike asked.
“As far as I can tell. Unless there’s another person down the road, or back behind the tree lines.”
“Let me see your scope,” Mike said.
The red sedan came into view, but he couldn’t see anyone. He moved the barrel a bit to the right to get a different view and then saw the shooter with his gun over the hood of the car, aimed right at him.
The bullet flew into the tree next to Mike, sending pieces of wood splintering into the air.
“So I guess he’s still there,” Fay said.
“Move everyone deeper into the trees,” Mike said.
Nelson grabbed Jung Jr. and Claire and led them deeper into the forest. Jung and Tom carried Jenna, and Clarence came up to join Mike and Fay by the tree line.
“What are we going to do?” Clarence asked.
Mike poked his head out just a bit to get another look at the sedan, then glanced up into the sky. It was only mid afternoon and it would be another six hours before it became dark.
“If we don’t get Jenna some serious medical attention she could get an infection, blood poisoning, anything,” Mike said.
“But you took the bullet out,” Clarence said.
“That doesn’t mean she’s in the clear just yet,” Mike answered.
“We can move through the trees, deep enough to where he wouldn’t be able to hit us, but close enough for us to still see the road,” Fay said.
“I don’t want to risk this guy following us,” Mike said. “Clarence, you still have the pistol I gave you?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Trade me.”
Clarence pulled the pistol from his waistband and handed it to Mike who gave him the rifle.
“Listen, I’m going to move down the edge of the forest until I get parallel with the car. I’m going to make a sprint for the sedan and try to force him out. When I start firing that’s when you guys give me cover,” Mike said.
“Mike, that’s a terrible idea,” Fay said.
“Yeah, what if we miss, or what if he shoots you before you get to the car?” Clarence added.
“You two are the best shots in the group beside myself, and neither of you have had any training in close combat situations, so I’m making the run. It’ll force his hand. He’ll either fire back, or he’ll run.”
“Mike, think about what you’re doing,” Fay said.
“Keep a bead on him. We’ll hit from both angles. Confuse him,” Mike said.
Before Fay could stop him Mike rushed off. He weaved in and out of the trees keeping an eye on the sedan in the distance. Once he was parallel to the car on the road he crouched down.
Mike ejected the magazine from the pistol, checking the number of shots he had. Thirteen.
He shoved the magazine back into the pistol and racked the bullet from the magazine into the chamber. His thumb flipped the safety off. He took a deep breath and exhaled, letting the nerves melt out of him. He closed his eyes, slowly controlling his breathing through his nose.
When Mike opened his eyes he aimed the pistol and sprinted for the sedan twenty yards away. Dirt flew up from the ground as he tore off into the field separating the highway from the forest. He squeezed the trigger sending bullets into the trunk of the car, then another barrage of bullets went flying into the side of the sedan coming from Fay and Clarence.
Mike was ten yards away now and he could see the boots of a man underneath the front of the car by the hood. The clank of bullets from Fay and Clarence smacked against the side of the car.
Mike could see the shooter’s head now and the hail of bullet’s From Fay and Clarence hitting the car stopped when Mike reached the trunk. He dashed along the backside, his finger on the trigger, when the shooter came into full view.
He must have been no older than seventeen. The boy’s rifle was on the ground next to him and his hands were in the air. Mike’s finger left the trigger as he kicked the boy’s rifle away from him on the ground.
“Please,” the boy said.
“What are you doing out here? Why’d you shoot at us?” Mike asked.
“I thought you were with the people in town. I thought you were coming to hurt my family.”
“People in town? What town?”
“Carrollton. It’s just a few miles west of here. We had a group of bikers ride through and they killed everyone. They killed my grandfather. I just didn’t want anyone else to hurt my family.”
Mike picked the boy up by the scruff of his neck and threw him onto the hood of the car.
“So you thought you’d shoot at a group of people traveling with children?” Mike asked keeping the gun pointed at him.
The young man’s arms were out wide, his palms still up in surrender.
“I didn’t even mean to hit anyone. I was just trying to scare you. I swear,” the boy said.
“Your family still in town?”
“No, we have a farm just outside of it. It runs right along this road a few miles West. That’s why I was out here, to keep watch.”
Mike glanced down the road where the boy’s farm would be, then grabbed the collar of his shirt pulling him toward him.
“You have anyone else keeping watch?” Mike asked.
“No, it’s just me. It’s just me.”
Mike backed up, leaving the boy on the hood of the car. Mike picked up the rifle the boy dropped and slung it over his shoulder. With his pistol, Mike gestured toward the tree line.
“Walk,” Mike said.
The boy rolled off the hood of the car and started marching toward the forest. He kept glancing back at Mike, his eyes red and wet.